FRANKFORT – Shorter days and cooler nights are sure signs that autumn has arrived, and starting Oct. 1, so has the fall wildfire hazard season that runs through Dec. 15.

During the wildfire hazard season outdoor burning is prohibited from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in or within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland.

“With the last several weeks of dry weather, conditions are favorable for outdoor fires to escape and become wildfires,” said Leah MacSwords, director of the Division of Forestry. “Burning under these conditions increases the risk for wildfires when all it takes is a little wind to cause a fire to spread.”

Officials with the Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) remind everyone to be careful with outdoor fire any time of the year but especially during the wildfire seasons when the risk of a fire escaping is greatest. If a fire does escape, immediately contact the local fire department or Division of Forestry office.

An escaped wildfire, even one burning in grass or weeds, is dangerous.

So far this year, the Division of Forestry has responded to 739 wildfires that have burned more than 17,000 acres of forests in the Commonwealth.

KDF records indicate that human activity has caused more than 99 percent of wildfires, the bulk of which are preventable.

Residents should call the Division of Air Quality at 1-888-BURN-LAW to learn about other specific regulations before burning anything.